


Boy's A Straight Up Hustler

by MyChemicalKlance



Series: But...In space [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Lance (Voltron), Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But In Space, Domestic Fluff, Domestic klance, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Galra Keith (Voltron), Getting Together, M/M, broganes, he's a mixture of things, he's got some alien features, he's half like canon, kind of, lance is pretty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 19:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12139041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyChemicalKlance/pseuds/MyChemicalKlance
Summary: Idea: A fluffy, domestic Klance story...but in space.This is just that. Just a simple love story between two people traveling space together and finding home in something they don't need to traverse galaxies to have.Just because their nine to five's as a swindling thief and space cop/bounty hunter aren't exactly traditional doesn't mean Lance and Keith can't have it all.No one ever said love was easy.





	Boy's A Straight Up Hustler

**Author's Note:**

> The other night I was laying in bed thinking of cute domestic Klance hc's and said you know what would be fun...writing just that but instead of the typical modern au, they live in space. No war, no sentient cat-fighting machines (although there is a sentient ship), lots of funky aliens and planets and fluff while they travel the Universe. Maybe they'll find the exciting lives they lead raiding temples for treasure and flinging swords at the galaxy's most wanted criminals don't hold a candle to making pancakes together on a tiny stove in Lance's beloved cruiser, Blue. 
> 
> Song at the beginning of the chapter is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo-4w9A6sVE  
> because I have always loved this song for some reason and I want it to play every time I wake up. Listen to it, it will make you happy!

A catchy tune and the flutter of a snare awaken and shake up the static air of the ship. Sounds of the past ooze from a Synchromatic ™ spilling out twangy notes that play hopscotch around the metallic interior of the cruiser, muffling it’s quiet mechanical rumbling with rockabilly melodies that serve to wake up. The modified speakers lined across the cockpit dance along with the music, shuffling the hair of one pilot dangling precariously off the edge of the chair’s armrest. 

 

In his sleep riddled daze, Lance unconsciously taps his foot hanging off the other side of the chair, quietly humming the happy tune his dream juke box played for him.

 

“ _ I'll be a diode, cathode, electrode, overload, generator, oscillator...make a circuit with me _ .” He mumbles along with the song, only catching every few words or so. 

 

The next verse continues and knocks Lance out his chair and peaceful nap onto the floor where his sleepy eyes open to see Blue’s speakers vibrating wildly. He wasn’t dreaming that. 

 

“Oh no, oh no, please don’t tell me I missed a whole day again!” He grumbles half to himself and to Blue, springing off the floor to kneel over the console and get a good look outside. 

 

His eyes adjust intuitively to the bright lights twinkling through the viewport, focusing effortlessly to accommodate for the bustling activity of the intergalactic hub in front of him. His vision hones in on the fastly approaching ring of rush hour traffic his cruiser is about to collide with head on. 

 

“Shit Blue, why didn’t you wake me up earlier? I just got you fixed up last week after that swamp accident. Hunk’s gonna kill me if I scratch you up again.” He slides forward on his chair, fingers finding the controls and switching and pressing buttons in a pattern that’s ingrained into his muscle memory. The cruiser banks left at an impressive angle moments before it makes unwanted acquaintance with the taxi docking station and a very angry looking attendant. 

 

He pulls back hard on the clutch, soaring straight up, the belly of Blue hovering a few inches from the surface of the massive space station before he flips and comes to a standstill next to one of the unused loading docks. 

 

“Phew, that was close.” He breathes, slumping back in his chair. The song still plays in the background, quieter than his rapidly beating heart. It reminds him why he’s here in the first place. 

 

“Blue, what time is it?”

 

Blue pulls up the digital screen, the clock reading 17:00 vargas. 

 

“Oh, good I still have an hour. Blue, can you please call Keith?” He asks, fluttering his lashes dramatically at the screen.

 

A series of digital chirps play through the speakers and if Lance didn’t know any better he’d say Blue’s tone was a little snarky sounding. 

 

A number appears on the screen before the call begins to ring. Lance checks his reflection in the porthole, running a hand through the matted hair on one side of his face.

 

“Thanks Blue, you’re my favorite!” A single tone replies with all the sarcastic delivery a single tone could convey. 

 

The call picks up, answered by muffled curses and the sound of boots clomping on the ground. Keith’s camera isn’t on but that’s really not too surprising. The guy barely knows how to text let alone talk on the phone and operate a camera simultaneously.

 

“Hey, sweet thang!”

 

“Lance?” The boots stop before Keith curses under his breath wheezes a little bit into the receiver. 

 

“Keith? What’s going on, are you okay?” 

 

“Yeah, i’m just…fuck, hold on-” More muffled sounds and then the distinct clank of metal being shackled to someone’s wrist. 

 

“Okay, you were saying?” Keith asks, his boots continue stomping along.

 

“I was asking if you were okay, but I’m guessing you’d just say ‘you should see the other guy.’”

 

“Oh.” He chuckles under his breath. “Yeah i’m just finishing up a job real quick on Xantholea and then i’ll be free.” Keith’s words round off slightly fond through the phone.

 

Lance smiles into his palm. “Am I picking you up in Lil’ Blue or you meeting me here at the hub?” 

 

“Nah, it’s fine this’ll be real quick, I can- Oh god dammit, not again-” The connection goes silent then a lot of scuffling sounds, bodies rolling on the ground, junk being thrown around and toppled over, a mixture of angry voices hollering. 

 

He hears a rifle charging followed by the metal zing of a knife flying through the air before an abrupt stop. 

 

“Keith? Kogane, did you just stab someone?” Lance yells frantically at his screen.

 

“It’s fine. He was non-” A final punch “-essential. Which port are you at, I can be there in a half a varga.” 

 

Lance’s mouth hangs open and he stares out the porthole incredulously like Keith’s gonna apparate out of thin air so he can scold him.

 

The screen finally loads up and he can see Keith walking through a crowded street. He looks...unconcerned, as usual. He notices Lance’s face and scrunches up his nose a little.

 

“What?”

 

“You just stabbed someone, is what.”

 

“They were thugs, it’s kinda part of the job description. Plus, it was just his leg, he doesn’t need that.” Keith waves him off and hops onto the back railings of a moving city bus.

 

Lance should be concerned, or at least mildly affronted by Keith’s lifestyle choices, but he’s not really. Quite the opposite actually and plus, given his own career path, he’s no one to judge. 

 

He picks at some of the sparkly polish chipping off his nails, watching long black tresses fly around Keith’s face in the wind through the screen. 

 

“I haven’t parked yet but I think i’m gonna head to Port 907, since it’s near the market district. Figured we could start off with some drinks, maybe a bite to eat?” 

 

“Sounds good to me.” Keith smiles ever so slightly into the camera and Lance’s heart melts a little. He can’t wait to see that smile in person again. After all, he only got to see it for a brief second when they met and that was over a week ago.

 

“See you soon, Samurai” Lance winks and turns off his screen. 

 

Blue seems to read his mind. The speakers begin to blare again, getting Lance pumped up for the night. He quickly steers the cruiser a few hundred meters past the valet and the bus terminal until he reaches his port. He flutters his eyelashes at the lavender, scaly woman at the entrance and she waves his entrance fee, swiping his card with perfectly manicured claws and directing him to his spot on the upper level. 

 

Lance races around the cabin, digging through the impressive closet he keeps for his travels to find some tight dark wash jeans paired with an oversized, grey sweater and suede ankle boots, or whatever the Kkexaclarian equivalent of suede is. He finds a compact of the pearl dust his mom gave him and dusts some on top of the blue and teal markings around his cheeks and eyes, making them shine more than usual. In the mirror, he notices his left eye has decided to change colors today, making itself several shades lighter than the right so it appears to glow slightly. It’s probably because he’s nervous, but it’s annoying all the same. He has to forego makeup because it would just make it stand out even more. At that, he pushes himself away from the mirror and grabs his satchel.

 

“Wish me luck Lil’ Blue!” Her pilot pats the wall by the exit hatch and Blue rumbles in response. “Don’t go flirting with any of these rich people’s ships again. I know how you pass the time when i’m gone. They always try and arrest me for attempted theft. I’m like, dude I didn’t convince your expensive ass sports cruiser to follow me out of the lot, Blue’s just that hot.”  He jumps out of the exit and makes his way into the city. 

 

The parking port exits right into the heart of downtown sector 900, the Market sector. Thousands of large neon signs light up the street grid and people move in swarms to get to the best and newest restaurants, shops and clubs. 

 

Lance passes by a large information booth where a lovely lady wearing a bright yellow, vinyl uniform, greets new visitors, pointing in several directions with her many long arms. Her digitally enhanced voice projects into the air, words being translated into hundreds of languages by the free communicators passed out upon docking.

 

“Welcome to the The Intergalactic Space Hub-X3. The X3 is one of several of our cooperative stations dispersed around denser parts of the known Universe. It’s purpose: to unite people and cultures from millions of galaxies in order to spread knowledge, trade and peace among every civilization. It’s the perfect place for families, travelers and people of all kinds to explore the fascinating corners of the universe in one place! New guests are encouraged to pick up one of our comprehensive guides to the station including transportation stops and times, accepted currencies, rules and regulations, as well as information about our many award winning tours and vacation spots. As a thank you for joining in our mission here at the X3, guides come with a coupon for a free drink at the station’s renowned bar and club, Magenta. Enjoy your stay, from all of us here!” 

 

Lance smiles like an excited child and bounces around, looking in the windows of the famous shops that started this district hundreds of years ago. He can’t help it, he loves this place for all of its overt grandeur and tacky tourist traps. Lance has only been to this hub a handful of times, mostly for work. His home is closer to one of the other stations and his parents were always more traditional when he was a kid, making home cooked meals, doing “family bonding” activities like beach camping and board games instead of taking Lance and his older siblings to the indoor amusement park like all his friends. Last time he was here, between jobs, he might have bummed a few tickets off some kids for the comet powered rollercoaster they have. 

 

Lance dances and skips down a corridor to a song in his head, waiting for Keith to call him. He snatches a small bouquet of some kind of flower...thing from a stall, tossing an iridescent pearl at the vendor when they yell at him to pay. Some teens bump into him in his daze, pushing past him with gigantic stuffed toys and wads of tickets billowing out of their pockets and filling up the space of the narrow corridor as if they own the place. He’d usually shout a little at them for putting his flowers in danger, maybe do a little harmless trick with his pistols to scare them a bit, but his eyes catch the gleaming entrance to the arcade they came out of and he forgets everything. The neon lights and symphony of playful sounds coming from the games inside draw him in like a moth to a flame. 

 

His communication device rings the second his foot reaches the front door. He frowns momentarily, bringing his finger up to the piece on his neck so he can answer.

 

A smooth but hurried voice speaks before he answers. “Hey, i’m here at the front entrance.” 

 

Oh, yeah. The arcade is not why Lance came here tonight.

 

“Hello to you too. I’ll meet you by the big candy shop, i’m just a few corridors down.”

 

“Kay, see you soon.” 

 

Lance books it out of the tight corridor, weaving his way back to the main street and avoiding all the vendors trying to give him free samples and those pamphlets that offer free trips to the Luxxian Coasts if you just volunteer to be a test subject for some “harmless” study that totally won’t turn your face bright pink for two weeks. Never again. 

 

Bright purple eyes immediately catch blue when Lance pops back into the central street. Keith gives a shy little wave from the window he’s leaning up against across the way. Lance puts the hand with the flowers behind his back quickly, gesturing to Keith for a moment. He jumps over one of the street acts being set up, shouting an apology over the tiny Arusian that is meticulously placing buckets of varying sizes in a circle. He ends up right in front of Keith, waving the bouquet in front of his face and smiling brightly. 

 

“Surprise!” he shouts, tugging the sleeve of Keith’s jacket so he’ll take the fluffy pink bouquet. 

 

Keith reluctantly grabs it, making curious eyes at the voluminous tufts of the plant.

 

“Careful! I’m not sure if these things bite or not.” 

 

Keith gives him a look. His mouth tugs up in one corner a bit. “Thanks. What could I have possibly done to deserve such...poofy, potentially man eating flowers?”

 

Lance blushes, waving a dismissive hand in front of his face. “Oh ya know, on account of you not getting stabbed and maimed earlier on the phone.”

 

Keith presses a little off the glass window, leaning in closer so their noses are a few inches apart. “Hmm, is that all?” He smirks up at Lance’s likely reddened cheeks.

 

Blue eyes flicker everywhere but right in front of him until Lance clears this throat and focuses forward. He leans in a little closer with faux confidence. “Oh, I don’t know. For now anyways.” He backs up, grabbing Keith’s free hand and pulling him away.

 

They meander down corridors for a while, people watching and looking through tinted windows that start to twinkle under the simulated constellations projected over the tops of the buildings. The market district has limited access to any real views of space to contain the magic of the area, letting people escape from the hustle and bustle going on around the outside of the hub. There are no vehicles allowed in order to keep the streets open and overhead projections often have no basis on real time so that people can’t tell how long they’ve been shopping. The lights dim for the nighttime scene, creating a blank canvas for the colorful lights of the lower market to shine and draw people in with the tantalizing promise of fun and adventure after a long day of shopping. Business men arrive from neighboring districts, exchanging their ties and briefcases for luxurious, velvet seats of the hottest clubs and a cold drink in their hand. The most beautiful people from the reaches of the galaxy put on their best dress and claim the streets for their own, marching in front of drones of lonely suitors like royalty, a drink in their hand at the single beckon of a snapped finger. 

 

Lance is thoroughly enjoying just strolling and mindlessly chatting, he even managed to brush his hand with Keith’s while going through a particularly narrow corridor. It was transcendental. 

 

He doesn’t want anything to get in the way of potential hand holding opportunities but when they pass by the third cart of delicious, fried dessert concoctions on the street side, Lance’s stomach rumbles and makes the executive decision that they should get this show on the road. 

 

Keith mentions he knows a place with really good food trucks and they cut through a few alleys to get to this little square with trucks lining the perimeters. It’s less crowded, tucked away behind the massive chain stores. They pick a burger place. Turns out burgers are a universal comfort food even if some of them have purple buns and cotton candy centers with unpronounceable names. Lance orders a random burger off the menu, he’s not picky, and one milkshake...with two straws. He smiles cheekily when he hands over his change.

 

It turns out that watching Keith eat is fascinating. It’s kind of disgusting, it’s also a little endearing in its oddity but moreso a big question of  _ why? _ Who taught this poor boy to eat? Some wild feral creature?  

 

“Keith, don’t take this the wrong way, but what the fuck are you doing?” Lance decides he’s just gotta ask. 

 

Keith puts the bottom burger bun he’s currently filling with toppings like some kind of fucked up taco, back down on the plate. 

 

He finishes chewing. “What’dya mean?” His big purple eyes look at Lance so innocently, so unknowing of the horror story currently happening on his plate.

 

“That! Why are you eating it like that? It already comes ready to eat” Lance gesticulates wildly at Keith’s messy plate.

 

Keith looks down at his burger, picking it up and taking another bite, even putting a fry in between the folded bun before doing so. 

 

“I don’t know man this is just how I eat burgers.”

 

“Keith. Keith. Keith Keith Keith. No. Just no this is not okay.” He picks up his own burger and demonstrates how to hold it like a normal person. “I’m also almost entirely certain that this behavior isn’t limited to burgers.”

 

“You’ve only known me for a week. You know nothing” Keith says very matter of factly. 

 

“I’m not above shit talking new friends. Not even cute ones. So am I right or am I right?” Lance eyes narrow in. He shoves a fry in his mouth while maintaining eye contact.

 

Keith’s glare is top notch. It’s very well practiced and perfected, if not a little scary but Lance has a lot of experience with getting what he wants. He also has eyes that don’t need to blink. Keith doesn’t realize this until his own violet eyes are watering and he’s squinting so tightly they might as well be closed. 

 

Lance breaks his gaze, laughing so hard he nearly falls off the back of his bench. Keith wipes his jacket sleeve over his face and hides a small smile.

 

“You jackass, you cheated!” Keith chucks a french fry at Lance’s face, getting up to throw their trays away. 

 

Lance hops off the bench, following Keith and pressing his arm over one of Keith’s shoulders. “It wasn’t cheating, it was just utilizing my gifts to crush you at a game of my choosing.” He steers them back through the alleyway to return to the main streets, relishing in the fact that Keith is letting him stay so close.

 

“Definitely not hard to believe you hustle for a living.” Keith comments offhandedly. He playfully nudges the arm Lance has now wrapped around his shoulders but his eyes look away, preoccupied with the festivities around them. 

 

“Ehh, that’s more of a side effect of what I do for a living. Pretty good skill to have when most of the guys I work with are three times bigger than me or can pin me to the wall via flying dagger.” His eyes meet Keith’s momentarily, teasing him silently. 

Keith returns a look that is just way too smug for Lance’s liking. 

 

When they pass by the arcade again, Lance tugs Keith into the brightly lit entrance. A series of well placed kicks on one of the old token booths in the back of the arcade gets them a few handfuls of tokens to play with. Keith seems content to watch Lance in his element and lets him drag him around to all his favorite games. One of the only places around the small town where Lance grew up that was kid friendly and didn’t involve fishing or outdoor activity was the old arcade he frequently visited with Hunk. They spent most of their allowances on tokens and they each have a box of plastic prize trinkets that they keep in their ships to remind them of home when travelling. Lance tells Keith that much as he guides him to the last game, his favorite by far. 

 

“Blinky Blaster? This is your favorite game?” Keith questions, looking over the counter that has plastic guns attached to it up to the display with cutouts of small, fuzzy creatures moving around in random patterns. 

 

“Well, it’s different things wherever you go, back at home they were spiky lizard looking things but same game pretty much.” He grabs a blue gun and hands Keith the red one next to his, gesturing for him to pick it up as the game starts. 

 

He loses the first time. They both do: Keith’s bullets barely skim the slower moving blinkies at the bottom of the display and Lance’s bullets each hit the board a fraction of a second too late. They lose three more times, relinquishing most of their tokens over to the skeevy looking attendant at the game. 

 

“Are you sure this game was your favorite as a kid, you kinda suck.” Keith jokes, throwing his red gun back on the counter in defeat. He ties his long hair up into a messy bun so Lance can see the dark purple coloring on the underside of his locks and his kissable neck. 

 

Lance’s left eye glimmers brightly, getting another shade lighter as he dramatically throw his body over the counter in fake offense. 

 

“Keith! How could you? Here I am trying to win you a big embarrassing stuffed toy to strap onto the back of your hoverbike and you mock my attempts.” He clutches the blue gun to his chest, feet slipping behind him so his body is basically a ragdoll up against the counter. 

 

Keith snorts into his jacket sleeve as he rakes his eyes over Lance’s form. The attendant chuckles behind the counter at the lost cause in front of him. 

 

“Sorry man, maybe you should pick another game. You wasted like thirty tokens, I gotta clock out soon.” 

 

Lance perks up at that. He winks at Keith, slapping down their remaining tokens on the counter.

 

“How bout’ this, I shoot all of those little fluffy fuckers up there this try, you give me that big ass hippo thing up there and he gives me a kiss.” He taps his cheek a few times at Keith, smiling at the blush that looks purple in the arcade lights consuming his entire face. 

 

The attendant glares at him, “No one gets the big prizes on one try dude, you gotta win the game a bunch a’ times and trade up for them.”

 

“Oh come on, it’ll be a miracle if I hit all of them this try, right? We got a deal?” He grips the blue gun again, ready to aim. 

 

The grumpy attendant grunts in agreement and flips the switch to start the game. The gun lights up neon blue when he’s ready to shoot. 

 

Keith leans over in Lance’s space and whispers in his ear, “Better focus, sharpshooter. I only date winners.” 

 

A shiver goes down his spine as he closes his right eye, lining up the blaster to the highest value target as it moves across the backdrop. He shoots down that one as well as every other target in quick succession, finishing off in a flourish by blowing invisible smoke at the barrel of the blaster and twirling it in his hands with trained precision. 

 

The attendant’s jaw drops as the game’s speakers announce the winner loudly over the noises of the arcade. 

 

Keith entertains Lance with an impressed smirk before grabbing the prize immediately and running out of the arcade as the attendant hollers at them. They burst from the exit out of breathe from laughing, stumbling onto the street with a giant stuffed animal that looks like a cross between a hippo and an amphibian. Lance hefts it up on Keith’s back to ride piggy back, patting its heads in triumph and then patting Keith’s face lightly.

 

“That’s what we call a hustle, baby.” He lifts his arms behind his head, crossing them at his neck as they saunter slowly in the opposite direction of the arcade. 

 

Keith adjusts the plushie on his hips, ducking his head down. “I saw that coming from a mile away, you know.” he glances back at Lance, shyly. 

 

“Yeah I know but you still agreed to the terms.” Lance taps his cheek as a reminder of his real prize. 

 

Keith chuckles. “I don’t recall actually agreeing to those terms you know.” Lance’s smile droops marginally, his eye dimming a few shades of blue. 

 

“I guess it was a little ambitious to try and fool your royal awesomeness twice in one day. You win some, you lose some.”

 

Keith squints up at his face, studying it. His big eyes narrow, something Lance has decided means he’s tossing around words in his head.

 

“Shiro’d probably smack me on the head for asking but what’s with your eye?- Ah shit, that  _ was _ really rude, sorry.” He kicks at the cobble stone path a little bit. “I didn’t mean it like that-like in a bad way, it’s just, it changes colors so often...uh you don’t have to answer that.”

 

Lance chuckles at his bumbling. It’s cute. And it’s something Lance does on the regular so that fact that Keith does it, even if it’s just when he’s made a social blunder- is comforting.  

 

“Don’t worry about it. I was just born like this. It’s genetic, from my mama’s side. It’s not always like this, but sometimes I wake up and it’s really bright. I can see really well out of this eye, but the downside, kind of an emotional traitor. I wear goggles a lot, it’s kind of unsettling to some people apparently.”

 

Keith peaks around the arm of the hippo hanging off his shoulders, getting another look at Lance’s face. “I think it’s pretty.” He responds almost immediately. 

 

Lance’s face bursts in color, his cheeks going pink and the markings on his face shimmering in the light of the simulated moons. 

 

Keith steps closer, pressing up on his toes to land a chaste kiss to Lance’s cheekbone. His face is painted with vibrant blues for the rest of the night. Keith’s face is on the redder side. 

 

The crowds pick up as they reach the center of nightlife in the Market district. People bustle around them in a whirl of color and steps that have a canter to them more like a rhythmic dance than the rushed, focused march of the daytime. The air is coated in a thick blanket of sweet smells from alcoholic drinks and puffs of smoke from the more experimental bars. Keith clutches onto Lance’s hands as people beckon them closer to the bumping entrances of the night clubs. Party promoters linger outside the entrances in outlandish costumes, selling their establishment as the party to end all parties. 

 

A group of woman on a girl’s night out dance around Lance and Keith with teasing hands and skimpy dresses, tickling their sides as they move through the crowd. The street seems to pump life into everyone inhabiting it, accenting the vibrant makeup streaked across people’s faces, the feathery boas and hooped skirts and luxurious velvet fabrics clinging tightly to every shade of skin. The neon lights take the lives of ordinary people and make them extraordinary, if only for the night. Lance smiles as he tugs Keith into the crowd, hoping it’s not too much. Keith definitely doesn’t seem like a huge people person from their brief exchanges.

 

He glances back and sees Keith’s face, flustered and maybe overwhelmed, but still with a small smile tugging on one side of his mouth. Keith’s gaze catches him and he takes the reins, pulling Lance towards a club lit up in soft pink and purple hues.

 

He jerks his thumb over his shoulder to the revolving doors swirling bubbles out onto the street with every rotation. “Hey, I got one of those guides with the free drink ticket in it. Wanna go in?” He shouts over the cacophonous sounds of the clubs mixing together.  

 

“Really? Never would have pegged you for a coupon kind of guy.” 

 

Keith shrugs. “I mean, it’s free stuff. Everyone likes free stuff.”

 

“Oh I don’t disagree.” Lance fiddles in his satchel, pulling out a wad of papers. “I got four.”

 

They enter the doors and check their coats and nameless hippophibian off at the coat check. The guy at the booth doesn’t even give the toy a second look, instead he puts a sticker on it and tosses it back in a pile of odd trinkets, tourist’s bursting suitcases, bottles from the duty free, inflatable articles of clothing, the odd vacuum or two. 

 

“Alright, let’s find the bubbly!” Lance bounces around excitedly, holding up his coupons like he just won the lottery. 

 

Keith rolls his eyes but points over to the bar. He takes the initiative this time, grasping Lance’s forearm delicately. Lance could live in this moment forever. Keith’s fingers are warm and his pale skin has an ethereal, violet glow from the ceiling lights that compliments the pearlescent markings climbing up Lance’s wrists and fingers. His touch stops time for a moment, freezing them in this bubble watching only each other behind a veil that separates them from the teeming shared energy of the rest of the party goers. Just a brush of fingers, the melting of bright blue and stormy purple, so innocent compared to the eroticy of the dancers before them yet oddly more intimate. There’s promise in the touch. It doesn’t feel like a fleeting moment. 

 

They grab seats at the bar, looking at the menu of fancy overpriced drinks they should use the freebie ticket on. The bartender wears a sparkly magenta vest with nothing under it and slacks. He mixes two drinks at a time with each pair of hands, slinging them down the bar in a flurry. Keith tries to get a simple shot but somehow winds up with a martini glass of pink liquid and purple smoke under Lance’s insistence. 

 

The bubbly takes the edge off. Lance chats Keith’s ear off about his favorite planets and his worst jobs he’s had to do. He finds out they’ve both gotten stuck in the same exact swamp on a little mining planet a few solar systems away. Lance smiles around the rim of his glass when Keith gets fired up about the incident and how long it took to scrub the gunk out of his bike. Lance mentions how long it took  _ him  _ to clean the gunk out of his everywhere and Keith inhales  a waft of smoke from his martini. A little embarrassment at his expense for the chance to rub Keith’s back so he doesn’t choke on boozy berry flavored vapor; worth it. 

 

Lance is about to ask Keith if he wants to dance a little when a voice pulls him out of the bubble.

 

“ _ Lonce Mcclain, who let your meddling, grabby hands into this fine establishment?!”  _ An elegant figure approaches them from the grand staircase, her Altean language refined but coated with the bite of a viper. 

 

Lance looks around frantically, refusing to make eye contact with the practical goddess floating down the steps. “Oh, shit. Keith, cover me.” He scrambles around Keith ducking over the counter to make a hopeless escape.

 

“Lance?” Keith pops his head over the counter, frowning at Lance’s curled up form under the sleek bar. “What are you doing? She already saw y-”

 

“ _ Mcclain, what do you think you are doing here?”  _ Yep, she definitely found him. 

 

Lance crawls up onto his knees slowly, peering over the edge of the counter. The bartender sneers at his intrusion on his work space, but slides a flaming drink right past his nose to another patron. 

 

“Allura! What a surprise seeing you here! To what do I owe the pleasure of your lovely presence this fine evening.” He laughs nervously, making eye contact with a very confused Keith. 

 

“ _ As you should well know, I happen to own this club as well as most of the other ones. The ones you have been appropriately restricted from after last time’s visit.”   _ Her face remains entirely composed as she grabs Lance’s wrist lightly and tugs him bodily over the counter. Keith helps stabilize him when he gets back on two feet. 

 

“Well, to be fair I actually didn’t know you owned this one. What happened to Coran, the Magenta was his baby?”

 

Allura picks up the rest of Lance’s drink and sips on it. “Oh, he decided the whole management thing was a little too boring for his taste. He much prefers choreographing the dance routines and doing the costuming.” She brushes a strand of silver hairs with her hand, guiding their attention over to a corner of the room where Coran, a ginger, mustachioed man, donned in a suit coated entirely in pink glitter, taps congratulatory glasses with a group of feathery dancers exiting the stage. 

 

Lance nods in appreciation. “I wouldn’t blame him.” Allura smacks him on the back of the head. She nods at Keith like he should be grateful for that. 

 

Allura stands up and puts his drink back in his hand, getting up and adjusting the twisting straps of her dark dress. She places a hand on Lance’s shoulder and peers down at him.

 

“ _ Finish this, and get out of my club before I have to escort you out myself.”  _ She offers him a tiny smile. It’s so tiny he’s not even sure if it was meant to be a smile or a threat. It would be hot if he wasn’t so utterly terrified.

 

_ “Lovely to meet you Keith, free drink on me next time you visit.”  _ She says as she walks away.

 

Keith’s eyebrows scrunch together, his eyes searching Lance’s face for answers.

 

Lance just puts his arms up in a ‘I don’t know, man’ kind of gesture. 

 

“How does she know my name?”

 

“Just like I said, I don’t know. Allura knows everyone and everything.” He scoots Keith’s drink closer to him so they can finish and leave because the last way he wants to end this date is with a trip to jail, or worse, Allura’s tea room. 

 

“Let’s get outta here.” Keith knocks his drink back and even beats him out the door. 

 

They dawdle slowly back to the market entrance, trying to extend the night as long as possible. Keith has an early wake up call for training with the Blade and Blue is probably blinking back in the garage with messages for Lance’s next ‘pick up’. 

 

“So, you speak Altean?” Keith asks through a rack of scarves they pick through on the street.

 

“A little. Dad’s half. He’s not super into his culture though so he only taught me so much but i’ve picked it up over the years.” 

 

“Cool. Is there a reason why that woman-” 

 

“Looks at me with the ferocity of an army of fire breathing dragons ready to fuck shit up? Yes, kinda, it’s all a little fuzzy, i’m not exactly sure.”  He picks up a chunky blue scarf and places it around Keith’s neck. 

 

“Pretty.” He cocks his head. The blue looks really nice with Keith’s eyes.

 

A pearl gets tossed to the vendor before Lance drags Keith back onto the street.

 

“Hey, w-wait, Lance! Why’d you buy that, I didn’t buy you anything?” Keith stomps his foot like a petulant child, tucking his frown into the thick wool material.

 

Lance giggles. “It’s fine. I just wanted to buy it. You can get me something next time.” 

 

Keith makes a point of pushing his scarf down a little so Lance can see a hint of a grin.

  
  


They find themselves at the entrance to the parking garages in a blink. Most of the shops are closed for the night and the peppy information lady looks ready to kick off her shoes and go home. 

 

“You gonna walk me back to Blue? It’ll be a long walk by myself.” Lance half-jokes, pulling out his ticket with his parking number on it. 

 

Keith fiddles his hands with the stuffed animal’s squishy legs around his waist. They almost forgot it running out of the club in fear of Allura’s wrath. “Hmm, I don’t know. Not much of a favors kind of guy. My cruiser is a lot closer.” He bounces on the balls of his feet, making him level with Lance so he can stick his tongue out. 

 

“Yeah, but you might get another present if you come, no extra charge.” 

 

“I do like free stuff.” Warm, pale hands wrap around Lance’s arm again, pulling him in the direction of the larger ships.

  
  
  


They find Blue playing music to herself. Keith admires the sleek design of the cruiser, brushing his hands over her smooth finish and walking around the port side to get a good look at the thrusters.

 

He hums to himself while Lance watches like a proud mom. Keith’s meeting Lil’ Blue in person.

 

“Your ship listens to Bauhaus when you’re not here?” He hears Keith question from somewhere around the engine. 

 

“Blue has an eclectic taste.”

 

Keith’s laugh is brilliant. It echoes through the high plated ceilings so Lance can hear it again and again. It’s rough around the edges, maybe it hasn’t been used in a while. His laugh is like a priceless violin that hasn’t been out of it’s case in a while, hasn’t been handled by the right musician until now, doesn't sing a sweet song under the wrong hands. Lance’s is more of the equivalent of the saxophone players in a marching band. 

 

He finds the other boy by Blue’s hatch, dragging fingers across the messy, finger painted pictures along the door. 

 

“My niece did that. So I could be happy walking through the door even if I was leaving home for a while. She’s too cute for her own good, honestly.” 

 

Keith’s touch lingers on the small vignette of the beach, crudely represented by a few blue finger strokes and a sponge print for the sun. “It’s nice.” 

 

Lance leans up against the door, batting at the hippo’s foot with a pointer finger. “Yeah, well sometimes it’s just me and Lil’ Blue out in space for a while so it’s nice to have reminders of my people.”

 

Purple eyes flash a series of disconnected emotions. Keith meticulously bites along his bottom lip. It looks like he’s trying to ziploc it shut. “You could...well I could maybe-maybe meet you half way sometime, if you have a trip soon. If you want company?” His eyes finally settle on Lance’s face, somewhere in the vicinity of his left eye. It’s probably a startling color right now. 

 

Lance’s cheeks blossom pink as a grin plies dimples into them. “Keith, can I give you your gift now?” He pulls Keith a little closer by the too long ends of the navy scarf. 

 

“Did I mention how much I like complimentary gifts?” Keith breathes, their mouths just inches away. 

 

Lance grabs Keith’s hands, letting their arcade prize fall to the floor so he can drag Keith even closer. Good riddance. That thing has been getting more action than Lance all night and he’s glad to see it be the other man for once. 

 

He leans down so that their lips brush together gently. “You might have mentioned that a few times.” 

 

The space closes entirely.

 

Keith presses Lance up against Blue’s side like the kiss is going to go somewhere else but then it doesn’t. And that’s okay. 

 

He parts softly, smiling and then pressing up on his toes to land one last tiny kiss on the corner of Lance’s lips.

 

“Did you like the gift?” Lance takes a risk in asking a question that could very well backfire and be really awkward if for some reason that second kiss was a pity favor. 

 

Keith makes a contemplative noise, leaning down to pick up his things. “It  _ was _ pretty good...for a freebie.” He smirks and then turns around to walk back towards wherever he parked. 

 

“What- for a wha-?!” Lance shrieks. “Hey get back here! You can’t just-”

 

“Guess you’ll have to prove it wasn’t a fluke!” Keith yells, leaping over the hood of some family miniship. 

 

“See you later asshole!” Lance pulls Blue’s hatch open, watching the last bit of Keith’s dark hair disappear behind a tour bus. 

 

“Call me, er I’ll call you!” He announces through Blue’s projection speakers. “Whatever works best!” The words ring out in the empty garage. 

 

He slumps in his chair, sighing deeply. What a great night. 

 

He presses the blinking message receiver on Blue’s control panel, pulling up a list of his next ventures. A missing document needed for the ambassador of planet Jaxa, lost treasure, lunch with Hunk and Pidge on Thursday,  _ oooh _ an assignment on the duel islands of Florinnian and Faollux. Coasts framed by melted wax sunsets and sweet smelling rain; tides that peel back and leave shimmering fossils and weathered shells sculpted by the dueling tides of the two islands.

 

Good place for a second kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! This is just something fun I wanted to write, and they'll be short one shots so there's not much pressure. 
> 
> I did want to ask if people preferred making it a series, or just writing multiple chapters, but each one would not be linear, just snapshots at varying points in their relationship. I have it as a series right now, but I can change that if people just like multi chapters better
> 
> Sidenote: I am a huge science fiction nerd and there will be plenty of references or imagery inspired by Luc Besson, GotG, Del Toro, you name it I got it. This chapter was heavily inspired Valerian because I love the idea of a massive space station built by millions of people coming together and making a home in one place.


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